


The Case of the Missing Car

by evergreenwind



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Normal High School, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2018-08-12 06:12:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7923625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evergreenwind/pseuds/evergreenwind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nancy is the school's go-to private investigator thanks to the skills that she's picked up working as a receptionist at the sheriff department on weekends. Steve enlists her help to find his father's missing car.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Client

Nancy accepted the twenty dollars Steve Harrington had given her. "There's more where that came from, now will you help me or not?" he pleaded. Nancy looked over to Barbara Holland who was sitting next to her. "What do you think, Barb?" Nancy asked her friend. 

Barb folded her arms and looked across the cafeteria table at Steve. "What exactly is it that you want us to do for you?"

Steve explained to the pair that after a party he had thrown last night at his house, his father's convertible had gone missing. His parents were due back from a trip on Sunday, meaning the car needed to be found within two days. "My dad is going to kill me if this car isn't found."

"Why not go to the cops? This is something pretty serious," Barb said. Steve gave her a pointed look. "Cops finding out that a bunch of minors were having a grand old time with booze? Yea, that's definitely going to end well for me."

Nancy briefly thought of the chief marching Steve into the station to give him a good scare about underage drinking while simultaneously sneaking a couple of drinks on the job himself. She had become the station receptionist on weekends but this simply just meant to answer non-emergency phone calls and to greet anyone that willingly came into the station. It was a pretty boring job and in a town like Hawkins, not much happened. To pass the time Nancy would eavesdrop on any talk of recent cases or read whatever previous case files were stored in the station. Nancy pulled out a small purple notebook and a pencil and proceeded with questioning Steve.

"What time did the party start and when did you notice the car was missing?"

"People started to arrive around, I dunno,  9:30 or 10 and I noticed the car was gone at 1 in the morning."

"Who was invited?"

"Anyone who mattered," he snorted. His smile disappeared when he realized he was staring back at two unamused faces. "Oh I thought I told you two about the party," he trailed off.

"You definitely invited one of us,"  Barb quipped. She took out a can of soda from her lunch bag and opened it.

"Can you be more specific on who was at your party?" Nancy continued as Steve's face went red.

Steve recited the names of the people he remembered seeing, "Tommy and Carol were definitely there, I remember seeing Billy I think -." Nancy interrupted and asked "Was there anyone there that you didn't invite?"

Steve looked down at the table, his eyebrows furrowed together. He then looked up and snapped his fingers. "That creep Jonathan Byers, shit, he probably stole it! Where is he?" Steve found the other boy sitting in a corner table of the cafeteria by himself.

"Wait, but, you don't know for sure that he took your car!" Nancy said as she grabbed Steve's arm to prevent him from running towards Jonathan on the spot.

"Of course it was, who else -"

"Steve Harrington," Nancy said sternly, "you hired me and Barb to find your car. We'll do that but we're gonna need your cooperation and your promise to not interfere our investigation. Do you understand?"

Steve looked at Nancy's wide eyes. He nodded but only after giving a dirty look in the direction of an unaware Jonathan. He then got up from the table and walked away. Barb took another sip of her soda. "Well I guess it's a good thing Mr. Popular is into you. It'll help us deal with his inability to control his emotions."

"Barb, we're not a thing. At least not anymore," Nancy said, glancing at her friend. Steve Harrington had dated Nancy Wheeler for about two months during the summer and then they broke it off. Everyone had assumed that Nancy was the one that was dumped but the truth was that she was the one that ended things between them. She kept that to herself however, and let the school think that Steve Harrington had deflowered yet another virgin. Despite her silence, Barb seemed to have figured out who broke up with whom.

Barb shrugged her shoulders and took another sip of her soda. She decided not to continue pressing Nancy about her brief fling with their newest client. "So you don't think Jonathan took the car, do you?" she finally asked.

Nancy shook her head as she reviewed the notes she had taken after questioning Steve and started to write down a list titles "People to Question." At the top of the list was Jonathan Byers.

"How do you know?"

"Elementary, my dear Watson," Nancy said looking up from her notebook and smiling at Barb. "When have you ever seen Jonathan Byers socializing with _anyone_ willingly?"


	2. Suspect Number One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nancy starts her investigation by asking her only lead a couple of questions.

Nancy walked outside after school was over and looked around to see if she could find Jonathan. He was already by his car, placing his backpack on the backseat. She rushed down the stairs and lightly jogged towards him.

"Jonathan!"

The boy didn't turn around and shut the back car door. He then started to walk around the car towards the driver's seat.

"Jonathan!" she said again, and he turned around, slightly surprised that someone was addressing him.

"Nancy? Is, is everything okay?" His face was confused and she could see his mind racing. "Do you need me to watch Mike?"

"No, I just, I had a couple of questions, I'm trying to find something for someone," she said. She saw him quickly glance at his watch. "It won't take long, I promise."

"No, I, I just picked up a shift at work and um I just didn't want to be late, that's all," he said softly as he opened the car door. "I'm sorry," and it looked like he meant it too.

Nancy smiled, "Oh, that's okay. Will's probably coming by my place. How about I talk to you then, when you pick him up?"

Jonathan, who at this point had already started the car, looked up at Nancy, smiled and nodded and backed the car out of the parking space.

Nancy had always been aware of Jonathan but it wasn't until their little brothers had become friends that they had started talking to each other. And by talking, she meant "hello" and "hey". Sometimes their conversation would involve an inquiry on how the other was doing or how their parents were, but they never lasted long and always ended with Will being dragged away from her house. At school they would smile at each other briefly while passing each other by, but they rarely talked. In fact, Jonathan did not talk to anyone at all. He was labeled as a loner and it was a label he did not seem to want to shed.  In the cafeteria he would sit alone, either working on assignments that were due in a couple of hours, or assignments that had just been handed out that day. If he wasn't in class or at lunch, people usually would find him in the school's dark room, developing pictures he'd taken on his old camera. No matter what Steve said, Nancy just couldn’t place Jonathan anywhere near that party.

* * *

Nancy was working on her biology homework when she heard the doorbell ring. She let her mother open the door and  walked down once she heard Jonathan call down the basement for his brother. She waited at the base of the stairs for him to turn around to her direction. She observed that he looked much more tired than usual. She caught his eye and she gestured to follow her out to the front porch.

"So," Jonathan said when they had settled on top of the porch steps, "what exactly did you want to talk to me about?"

Nancy crossed her ankles and clasped her hands. "Well," she started. "You know about how people have started asking for my help with finding things lately?"

"And helping people in relationships figure out if they're partners are cheating on them," Jonathan said with a laugh and nodded "yea, I've heard something about that."

Nancy hadn't seen Jonathan laugh before, at least not in recent memory. She didn't realize how close she had sat next to him and realized she could hear him softly breathing as well as her own heart pounding.  She actually had no idea how to start this conversation. Her gut instincts could be wrong and Jonathan could actually be the person who stole Steve's car. What would he do when she asked? Would he get angry? Would he try to make a run for it? Should she personally chase after him if that happened or should she call Chief Hopper? If she ran after him, how would she take him down?

"Nancy?"

Nancy snapped back to reality and looked to her right. Jonathan's look of concern brought a small smile to her face.

"Sorry, I just don't really know how to ask this," she said and looked back at him "so I'm just going to come out and ask it. Did you steal Steve's car?"

Jonathan raised his eyebrows and turned away from her as her jaw dropped. "That did not sound as rude in my head," she said. He didn't look at her.

Finally he asked, "Why do you think I did it?"

"So you did take it?" she asked incredulously. She was ready to run to the phone.

"I didn't say that," he said coolly. "If you notice," he gestured over to his car, "I'm not exactly the type to be driving around cars that people like Steve Harrington own."

"Just to be clear," Nancy started, "I don't believe that you did take the car. But Steve says -"

"Right, so Steve says it, so it has to be true," Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"Let me finish!" she said earnestly. "He said he saw you at his party," Jonathan turned his bewildered face to hers, "and he suspected you. I just wanted to rule you off the suspect list. That's all."

He looked into her eyes and Nancy could tell he was questioning whether to believe her or not.

"I know you're not the type to go to parties," she simply said shrugging her shoulders. As she had hoped, this broke some of the tension and he gave her a crooked smile.

"Gee, that doesn't make me feel like a loser at all," he said looking up at the sky. "But you know," he suddenly stopped talking and looked at her. He brought his forefinger to his lips. Nancy's confusion disappeared once she heard what he heard. She slowly got up and turned around to her front door. With one swift motion she pushed the door open. All four boys leapt back and started laughing. Mike and Dustin started making kissy faces and noises at them while Will and Lucas just laughed.

"Mike Wheeler I'm gonna kill you!" she screamed out of embarrassment and ran after her little brother and his friend. She stopped halfway down the hall when she heard Jonathan telling Will to get in the car. She turned back and saw Jonathan mouth "later" to her. She nodded and smiled as she watched the boy swing his younger brother over his shoulder and carry him to the car.


	3. The Alibi

Nancy found Barb at their usual table in the cafeteria.

"How'd it go with Jonathan?"

"Didn't get far thanks to my brother and his friends," she said rolling her eyes.

"But you still think he didn't do it? Because after talking to Carol, he was there. That's two people that place him at the party where he wasn't invited."

"I'm going to try catching him after school, but I feel like we're chasing the wrong lead. What would be his motive?"

"He hates Steve? Steve hates him? Selling Steve's car might make him some money?"

Nancy knew that everything Barb listed were valid reasons and she knew that logically speaking, Jonathan should be their number one suspect.

"Call it instinct but I just don't see it," she said and Barb sighed.

"Your instincts have been right before," Barb finally said, "but don't be blinded by any sentimental feelings."

Nancy ignored what Barb was trying to imply and pretended to be completely engrossed in her lunch.

* * *

 As soon as the final bell rang Nancy rushed over to where Jonathan's car was parked. She had arrived there before he did and decided to wait for him by leaning against the hood of his car. Instead of Jonathan, however, she was approached by Steve.

"Still questioning Byers I see," he said nodding in approval.

"A little, but I honestly don't think he did it Steve," she watched Steve's face go sour.

"There's no one else it could be, Nance, I just can't imagine who else would dare take that car."

"That's why you're paying me and Barb," Nancy said smiling and patted his shoulder, "to imagine who would take it for you." She spotted Jonathan walking towards them and grabbed her bag from the ground. "I might swing by your place with Barb later today to take a look around if that's okay?"

Steve shrugged and nodded. "Yea that's fine by me," he said. She gave him a reassuring arm squeeze and jogged towards Jonathan.

"Let's talk," she said and grabbed his arm leading him to the football field.

"What was that about, does Steve want my car now?" Jonathan asked glaring back towards where Steve was still standing.

"He just wanted an update on what we've found, which is nothing," she said. They walked up the bleachers and sat in the highest row. "You don't have anywhere to go today, do you?" she suddenly asked remembering how much of a rush he had been the day before.

"No, I usually pick up shifts here and there when they need someone, and that was just one of the few times it's right after school," he said looking out towards the field.

"Okay, so to finish our conversation from last night," she gestured towards Jonathan for him to continue what he was telling her before their siblings had interrupted.

He sighed and clasped his hands. "One of the guys I work with, he works at another place and sometimes his boss needs an extra guy. All the pay is under the table so I'm not really an employee."

Nancy knitted her brows together trying to decipher what this side job could be.

"That night he needed someone extra and so I helped him out as a pizza delivery boy."

Nancy was taken aback. "That's it? You were at Steve's-"

"- delivering a pizza," he finished nodding. "It's a family run shop, Santucci's? They don't require you to wear any uniform or anything so I was wearing normal clothes. "

Nancy took out her notebook and started writing. "Do you mind if I speak to the people that own the pizza shop?"

Jonathan scrunched his face in thought, "If you could leave out the stolen car part then yea. The extra money really helps me out."

Nancy nodded, "I'll just tell them that I'm a jealous girlfriend wondering if you're actually cheating on me."

Jonathan opened his mouth in mild surprise and quietly chuckled. "Well okay then," he finally said.

"So what time did you arrive and what did you see?" Nancy asked pretending that the atmosphere hadn't become awkward.

Jonathan explained to Nancy that he had arrived at Steve's house at around 10:30 and that already most of the people there seemed wasted. Steve opened the door, barely had looked at him and shoved the money in his hand before closing the door in his face. "I'm honestly surprised he even remembered I was there," Jonathan said.

"Can you describe the cars that were parked in the driveway?" Nancy asked. None of the cars that Jonathan described matched the black convertible that Steve's father owned. "Do you remember seeing any car that matches the description?" Nancy continued. Jonathan shook his head and added "I wasn't there long so I can't be too sure."

There was a whistle out on the field and Jonathan and Nancy both watched as the football team started their warm-ups before practice.

"What else do you remember?" Nancy asked.

Jonathan looked down at his shoes and closed his eyes trying to think. "Like I said, everyone seemed pretty drunk. Almost everyone was inside but I heard people out behind the house too. Oh and Carol and Tommy were making out next to the roses."

"You sure it was Carol and Tommy?"

"Well while I was walking away they must have come up for air and saw me since I heard their voices asking what a loser like me was doing there," Jonathan said nonchalantly.

"Yea, that sounds like Carol and Tommy H alright," Nancy said with disdain. She closed her purple notebook and placed it back in her backpack. She noticed the outline of a camera sitting in Jonathan's bag. "You take pictures, right?" she asked him pointing at his backpack. Jonathan looked down and opened his bag.

"Yea, sometimes whenever I get the chance," he said. He took out a few notebooks and a math textbook before pulling out the camera. He then placed the books back into the bag and put the camera strap around his neck. Nancy noticed a couple of pictures sticking out of the math textbook and grabbed them. One was of a picture of Will, laughing while he was mid-bite of a stack of pancakes. Behind him was their mother, Joyce, also smiling while leaning against the kitchen counter cutting coupons. The other picture was of a bird sitting on the branch of a tree about to take flight. "These are amazing," she said as Jonathan snatched the pictures back from her hand.

"Thanks," he said quickly as he shoved the pictures back into the bag. Nancy suddenly had an idea.

"Are you doing anything later today? I know that you work most Friday nights."

"No," Jonathan said slowly, "I'm free."

"How would you like to come with me to Steve Harrington's house," she said with a smile that grew wider at his confused face.


	4. Outsiders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew decides to check out the scene of the crime to search for clues.

"What is _he_ doing here," Steve asked slowly although it sounded more like a statement. He stared at Jonathan who was on Nancy's left.

Barb, who stood to her right, answered "apparently he's our photographer." Both Nancy and Jonathan looked at Barbara through the corner of their eyes.  Barb was sporting a huge grin on her face as she stared back at the displeasure written all across Steve's face.

"And why do we need a photographer?" Steve asked with a sneer.

"Why not?" Barb answered again. Steve finally peeled his eyes from Jonathan and looked at Barb.

"Jonathan's pictures might help us find any details that we overlook today," Nancy finally explained. Steve sighed and stepped aside to let them in.

"The kitchen's this way," he said and gestured to the trio to follow him. Nancy walked next to Barb with Jonathan trailing behind.

"You're enjoying this a little too much," Nancy whispered to Barb.

"It's not every day you see Steve Harrington jealous," Barb replied and smiled back to Jonathan who was thankfully playing with his camera. Nancy rolled her eyes and ignored the fact that her face felt like it was burning.

"So," Steve said as they walked through the kitchen, "the keys go here." He pointed to a series of hooks that was attached to a hanging mail organizer. Two of the hooks were empty. "Feel free to take a pic-" he sarcastically said, but the other boy quickly took a picture before Steve could finish.

"Why don't you show us where everyone was hanging around during the party?" Nancy said looking back and forth at the two boys. Steve's mouth, which was still in the position to finish the word "picture", finally closed. He raised an eyebrow at Jonathan, as if daring him to do something. Nancy could see Jonathan clenching his camera, but instead he glanced at Nancy and quickly dropped his eyes to the floor and relaxed his grip on his prized possession. "Barb, how about you guys retrace Jonathan's steps and take pictures while Steve goes through the events of the night with me?"

Barb and Jonathan nodded and headed back towards the front door. Nancy whipped around to face Steve after the two had shut the door. "What's your problem, Steve?" she asked, her head tilted to the side.

"My problem!? You're going to invite a guy I can't stand into my house and you're asking what's wrong with me?" Steve asked incredulously.

"Oh, what, so you hate him now? For what? What has he done to you?"

"Nothing! He just annoys me, I just - it doesn't matter now does it?" he said hands on his hips looking out the window instead of at her face.

Nancy took a step back, her face half in shock and half amused. "Don't tell me Barb was right?"

"Right about what?" he asked, his tone no longer angry but tired.

"That you're jealous of Jonathan?"

This brought the energy back into Steve's voice. "Jealous!? Me? Of him?" he halfheartedly laughed. "No, no, nope, no," he kept shaking his head.

"Oh my God, you are," she said again amusement replaced with confusion.

"The only way I am is if you two," he stopped and looked into Nancy's eyes which had widened. "This," he gestured his finger downward and motioned the shape of a circle, "was always you and Barbara. I was never invited to be a part of it and I never asked because I figured it was your, I dunno, best friend thing. You broke up with me saying you felt like you didn't belong, that you felt out of place. But seeing him so easily fit into your little group just now, I can't help but wonder if I was the one who was out of place in your life Nancy."

Nancy just stood there, unable to say anything. Finally she said, "I'm not sure what you're seeing, but Jonathan is just-"

"Your little brother's friend's brother. Yea I remember you telling me that when I saw him-"

"Leaving my house with Will," she finished.

"Nancy," Steve said with sad eyes, "I didn't ask because I saw him leaving your house. I asked because I saw how comfortable you were talking to him."

Nancy parted her lips in disbelief. She remember that night when Steve asked what she was doing around Jonathan and she had simply answered with the truth. She couldn't even remember what their conversation had been about but she knew that it was probably about their brothers, or their moms, or some other small talk.

She furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head at Steve who sighed. "Look, I know I have no right to jealous. We're over and you can hang out with whoever you want but it's not so easy getting over you," he said with a small smile.

Nancy resisted the urge to grab his hand reassuringly. Instead she finally made eye contact with him and said "I'm so sorry if I ever hurt you Steve."

He shook his head. "Nah, don't worry about me Nance. We're not meant to be and that's fine. I'll be fine for the few days in my life I have before my father comes home and kills me."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Barb looked around the side of the house closes to the driveway while Jonathan started snapping pictures. Together they found several beer cans, cigarette buds and the smell of vomit.

"Ugh, he's doing a poor job of trying not to get busted," Barb said holding her nose.

"Or the maid he hired hasn't shown up yet," Jonathan said dryly.

Barb laughed, "It is so refreshing to hang out with someone who has the same disdain for Harrington as I do."

Jonathan smiled. "Unfortunately, Nancy seems to see the best in others I guess."

"Yeah she seems to do that a lot. And not just with Steve."

Jonathan could feel his neck getting red and went back to taking pictures instead of responding to the redhead. Before Barb could continue to say anything further, Nancy and Steve walked out.

"Oh God, it smells like death over here," Steve said pulling his sweater over his mouth and nose. He noticed Jonathan, Barbara and Nancy staring at him. "What?"

"Are you telling me you never even bothered to clean the house after the party?" Barb asked incredulously.

"I cleaned inside the house!" he argued. "I just didn't realize I should clean outside as well," he said softly. Barb shook her head and walked away. Steve looked at Jonathan. "It's okay Beyers.  You can laugh at how much of an idiot I am."

Jonathan cracked a smile as Barb returned with a trash bag she had retrieved from the kitchen.

"Here," she said handing the bag to him, "we'll help out." Steve took the bag from Barb and stared at her in mild shock. "You really don't have to do that," he said but was interrupted halfway with Jonathan placing a couple of crushed cans in the bag. Steve turned to Jonathan his eyebrows raised. Jonathan shrugged. "I'll help too."

"Wait, don't clean up yet," Nancy said as she looked at one of the rose bushes. She carefully put her hand in the branches to avoid the thorns and pulled out a Freshen-Up chewing gum wrapper. She turned to see Jonathan and Barb looking confused but saw recognition in Steve's face.

"Carol's favorite brand. Those assholes trashed my mom's flowers and didn't even bother to clean up!" 

"And maybe," Nancy added, "they decided to add on to the property damage by having a joy ride as well?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for not updating faster. I started a new job and well I couldn't find much time to write as much. But thank you so much for your kind words!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and suggestions are welcome!


End file.
